With his proud dad, Tiger Woods, watching from the 1000-person gallery at Oakland Hills, Charlie Woods, 15, struggled to a missed cut in his United States Junior Amateur debut.
Charlie dug himself a less-than-ideal hole by shooting a 12-over on the North Course on Monday, in a round that included two birdies, three bogeys, and five double bogeys.
Playing the more difficult South Course on Tuesday, Woods soldiered through a disastrous front-nine that included an hour storm delay, three bogeys, two double-bogeys, and a triple on the 482-yard par-4 18th. To his credit, he scored his first birdie of the day on the par-3 3rd, and played the second nine at a 1-over 36.
He shot a 10-over 80 for a final score of 22-over par, tied for 240th, 17 strokes behind the cut line. The Top 64 (of 264) advanced to match play, beginning Wednesday. Those who advance will compete in the 36-hole championship on Sunday.
In addition to Oakland Hills, Charlie had to deal with outsized fanfare from an over-excited gallery. At one point on Monday, Tiger could be seen complaining about fans being “on top of” Charlie. Police officers followed the group.
Blades Brown (-6) shot the lowest score in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The 16-year-old made the cut in his PGA Tour debut, at the Myrtle Beach Classic in May. 15-year-old phenom Miles Russell, the no. 1-ranked junior, whose PGA Tour debut came in June at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, sits T12 at 1-over.
Woods qualified for the prestigious event after finishing atop the 86-person field at a U.S. Junior Am qualifying event in June in Coral Springs, Florida. He'll be eligible to compete three more times, until he's 18.
Oakland Hills has plagued the Woods' before. At the 1996 U.S. Open, Tiger — who had just locked up his third straight U.S. Junior Am trophy — finished tied for 82nd and missed the cut. The 15-time major champion was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team that lost to Europe at Oakland Hills in 2004 (the only time he was paired with Phil Mickelson).
Tiger used Charlie as an informal coach during practice rounds before the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The father-son has teamed up multiple times in the PNC Championship in Orlando. In 2021, they finished runner-up to John Daly and his son, John Daly II.
After missing the cut (+14) at the 152nd Open Championship, the 48-year-old Tiger confirmed his plans to tee it up again with Charlie in December at the PNC.
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